GOSS Minister for Cooperatives and Rural Development Dr. Anne Itto outlines her ministry’s plans

JUBA (July 13, 2010) – Government of South Sudan (GOSS) Minister for Cooperatives and Rural Development Dr. Anne Itto on Tuesday outlined her ministry’s plans of bringing about real transformation to rural areas across the region.

Dr. Itto publicized the plans at the weekly “Minister of Information’s Media Forum,” where she was the guest speaker.

She said the successful implementation of the plans would undoubtedly lead to the fulfillment of SPLM and GOSS’s much-publicized policy of taking towns to the people and consequently result in a marked improvement in the quality of lives of the rural population.

Certain figures suggest that more than 80 percent of the people of the South are in rural areas.

A recent report published by the South Sudan Center for Census, Statistics and Evaluation on poverty incidents across southern Sudan revealed that over half of the people of southern Sudan live below the poverty line, an overwhelming majority of them in the rural areas.

And it does not have to be this way, according to Dr. Itto, who explained that her ministry’s goal of transforming the rural areas shall depend on implementation of five key policies, beginning with an “understanding of what needs to change and how to bring about that change.”

This, she said, would necessitate initiating awareness programs aimed at enlightening the people and dissuading them from holding on to cultures and traditions that inhibit development and have a negative impact on the well-being of individuals and communities.

Dr. Itto added that her ministry would also endeavor to embrace and encourage “good governance” and “people-driven” programs as part of the effort.

She underscored the need for all relevant ministries, government and non-governmental agencies and organizations to work together and as she put it, “so that we have a critical impact.”

The Ministry of Cooperatives and Rural Development, said Dr. Itto, will also as a matter of policy strive to empower the rural population in a way that would enable them to make conscious decisions on issues pertaining to their welfare.

The ministry hopes to get some advice from experts and the general public on how it should go about executing its plans of transforming the rural areas.
“We are going to be creating a suggestion box,” the minister noted.

But first, she intends to organize a brainstorming workshop, carry out an assessment of existing cooperatives and community-based organizations, organize a meeting with cooperatives ministers from all 10 states of South Sudan and conduct a review of current policies.

More importantly, however, are the ongoing efforts to establish the first ever cooperatives bank for South Sudan with help from the Kenya Cooperatives Bank, which has agreed in principle to come up with 70 percent of the initial capital required for the project.  

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